Hi,
I am a veggie, who is probably actually about 90% Vegan. I have been transitioning for about a year now and I was wondering if anyone had any general advice to make sure I am getting all the vitamin/minerals my hair needs? I also use a lot of deep conditioning treatments, that I make myself, mostly coconut oil based and that is working really well but does anyone else have any other recipes or natural product ideas for me?

I am not doing at the moment no, I had a blood test recently and my doc said that especially considering my diet, my levels are all really good. But I still feel as though my hair is growing very slowly. I transitioned around a year ago and the roots now seem to be frizzier than the damaged bottom.

My current routine consists of co-washing with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner and using a Cider Vinegar rinse sometimes when I feel my hair may need a bit of a cleanse. I also use a homemade coconut hair mask/deep condition about twice a month. I usually wash my hair in the evening, let it dry throughout the course of the evening as much as possible and then put up in a satin cap for sleep. In the morning I usually spritz my hair with water where needed just to reinvigorate the curls. I really like the cider vinegar rinse I do as I find it effective for cleansing but do you think that maybe it is a bit harsh?

How often do you use the vinegar? Usually a low pH is used to seal the cuticle, and your signature says you have low porosity hair - which the cuticle would already be sealed. What purpose are you using the vinegar for? If it's for clarifying, it's not a clarifier at all. I use vinegar for cleaning and it wouldn't clean the hair product off my mirror. It wasn't an experiment, it was a chance finding. Don't trust it to remove buildup.

Are you using any conditioner after your cowash? Stylers? Try cupping some water into your hands and refreshing your hair that way. Spray bottles have a tendencies to increase frizz on some people.

I think I have been misinformed! I'll try laying off the vinegar then, do you have an idea of something I could use instead to remove build up. I would consider buying a low-poo but I am from the UK and they are hard to find here and very expensive.I have (literally about 5 mins ago) just realised that I have low porosity. I did the water test a while back and my hair sunk, meaning I was low porosity but things didn't seem to add up. I did it again about 3 times and all the hair floated with it sinking about half way on one attempt. So I guess it is low/ maybe medium? And thanks for the spray bottle tip, I used to try this way but always ended up disrupting my curl pattern too much, it doesn't seem to like scrunching even gently, but i'll experiment a bit more and give it a go!
Thanks again!

The water test for hair is not very accurate. A lot of us on the board get a microscope analysis done from GoosefootPrints on Etsy. Her analysis is super helpful, and there's no question about accuracy, since she sends images of your hair under the scope.

ACV is a chelator, and I've also read everything under the sun claiming to be a clarifier. As for low poos, I really like Yes to Cucumbers - the sulfate free one in the rounded bottle. You should be able to get that where you live, we can find it in drugstores in the U.S. If you're good with cowashing, you can use the low poo once a week or once every two weeks. Experiment and see what works for you.

jasminee123 if you have difficulty finding products to use then there is a British Curlies site (you have to Google it). On the forum there is a thread which has a list of high street products that are Curly Girl.

Holland and Barrett sell shampoos without SLS or ALS in but you need to read the ingredients to double check. I'm also sure someone on these boards wanted to purchase Avalon Organics Lemon Shampoo but didn't know where to get it from (which is why I remembered) anyway it's a clarifying shampoo which is SLS and ALS free.